Unspoken

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

I am not a botany expert nor do I claim to be. However, yesterday I could not help but take notice of a patch of beautiful flowers emerging from some foliage. At twenty feet away, the pink and white flora looked lovely and vivid.

I decided I would examine the flowers and see the intricacies of God's design. It looked as if God had thoughtfully scattered the flowers there for any passerby to be reminded of His existence.

As I reached out to pick one of the flowers, the petals crumbled at the mere presence of my hand.

They seemed to be so brittle, that even if I brushed against them, they would crack and fall to the ground.

At a distance they had looked healthy, yet a real examination showed the opposite.

This flower was different from the rest. I took this unique flower from its bush and put it to the test.

There are many Christians who look healthy from afar, until they are approached.

Just like the flowers, there are many brittle, useless, non flourishing Christians.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

We have been traveling many miles in this beautiful countryside, but the only problem is we haven’t the slightest notion of our location, direction, or whereabouts.

Although neither I nor my family has any idea where we are, our GPS is guiding the way. It makes the journey quite “adventurous”.

All we can do is follow the 3-inch screen and the strange accent that gives us directions.

You see, the GPS knows the right roads to take, the roads to avoid, and it almost seems like it has been here before.

I do not always know the road ahead, I do not always know the best route, and I have never been down this road called life.

Now I find myself in an interesting position. I can try to map out the road on my own… or I can follow God’s Word.

And when I do choose to go my wayward (fuel expensive) direction, I will hear the voice of the GPS saying “recalculating” or “make a u-turn”.

The only difference in following a Tom-Tom, Garmin, or God is…the latter is always right.

Whoever says the Christian life is boring and unadventurous, has obviously never been down God’s road.

I decided to start riding my bicycle again this summer. I took it out early this morning to bike a few miles. It was quite peaceful and refreshing as I rode down the path. The birds gliding… the rabbits scurrying away… the falling leaves… all was well.

My tender-self began to feel pain and soreness. The time had come to purchase a new seat.

I drove to the store in search of a new, ultracomfortable, nonexpensive, durable seat.

It must be the right size, angle, shape, material, and color. The only problem is…

All day long I have been indecisive in buying a seat. One minute I’m content, the next I’m second-guessing. I cannot make up my mind!

I do not know which seat to choose or even if the one I choose will be the right one. I will ride around on a seat for a few minutes and seem to like it, but then I will change my mind.

When facing a decision, I can be indecisive, unsure, second-guessing, and confused.

I keep praying but it seems my answer receptor only receives mixed signals or static.

I will just have to wait. I will have to wait to see if the bike seat will be comfortable when I take it out and ride it for a few hours. I will have to wait and see if the seat will endure the rugged mountain trails.

When it comes to prayer, sometimes we just have to wait on the Lord. This shows our trust and faith in His plan, and it proves that we sincerely want His will done …not ours.

“If anyone of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

A tan-green cordlike object was wrapped around a log. I stood still and gazed intently at the strung out play-do.

Thinking it was a snake; I picked up a heavy limb and tossed it onto the creature.

Then it would almost require a learned gardener to differentiate between the true vines, false vines, and the snakes.

Do you know the Word enough to tell the true Vine apart from the false vines and snakes?

At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, the wisest man to have ever lived sums up the entire purpose of life.

The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord will endure forever.

As we learned this past week at the Creator Conference, Adam was created from dust… …and to dust Adam returned.

I have watched, read and heard many stories. I have seen countless movies about a hero or underdog that overtakes evil against all odds.

I have read the novels about the one person whom ancient prophecies and legends foretold.

I have heard about the “chosen one” who finds his destiny and sweeps in to save the world and/or girl, treasure, country, or race.

I have seen the film plots in which only one unlikely person knows the real truth, yet no one will believe him. Everyone mocks him or ignores him; it is then left up to that person to guard or reveal the truth to the world.

The underdog emerges and conquers despite the opposition. A Hero does the impossible, chooses the unexpected… and wins.

In literature and movies, the reader watches and cheers for the characters in the story. In the struggling times the reader turns the pages with the expected knowledge that the outcome will eventually be good. In the pain and doubt the book's characters experience, the reader in on edge wishing to tell the main character that the end of the novel is better than that present chapter.

The viewpoint is altered. The words that describe the swords in battle now become iron to embrace or dodge. The pain and confusion of the unknown the reader once viewed as letters on a page, now becomes terror to the heart.

Everything around me faded. It seemed as if the entire room were vacant. All that remained were the cushioned bench and the three or four steps that would soon become my gravesite. If every person I had ever met were in that room, I would have been oblivious to them. The previous events of the day are so vague in my mind I could not even begin to give a rough outline of anything before this decisive moment. Anything before this did not matter to me then, and it does not matter to me now.

After scraping every corner of my mind I can only recall a few memories. Every trace of memory that comes to mind is dark, as if caught in an eerie mist. Every memory is almost gone and is falling away from me, just enough to escape my grasp. My memory is almost extinct and lost forever, except for one incident. I recall hearing the heart-drawing words that shook my soul. The words would demand every fiber of my being to ponder them. The words spoken can never be blotted out, even if I wanted them to be. The words were so effective that I cannot even remember the person who spoke them that day. The words pierced my flesh, heart, and soul. The words, “Come and die.”

I sat almost lifeless, yet never so alive. My heart pounded and squeezed as the man spoke. “Come and die, so you may live!” His words pounded inside my body and then echoed out into the building’s walls. “Die so you may live.” It seemed like a total contradiction. How can you live and yet be dead? How can death bring about anything good? Thoughts like these flooded my head as I listened to this powerful speech. I began to realize the words he spoke were not his own. The words my ears heard were not from a mere human, but from someone much more powerful and worthy. As the speaker continued quoting, I found myself clinging to every letter and syllable that came out of his mouth. This man was not expounding on words that he crafted, but he was quoting from the heart and mouth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the one who had shaped those beautiful words. And, as the heart of Jesus spoke, the words transformed from a soft whisper into a rushing wind. The words transformed from a contradiction into the only path to completeness. They burst from their cocoon to produce the secret of life itself. “Die so you may live.”

I died. Everything in my life died: my pride, hopes, ideas, loves, thoughts, actions, and desires. I gave it all up to live. It was at that moment that I realized instead of attending my own funeral; I would be attending a celebration. I would no longer be living for me, but I would be living for my God. I would no longer pour my trust and actions into something selfish and vain, but I would pour my life into Someone worthy. From that moment on, I began to live. From that day forward, Jesus Christ became my love, my hope, and my desire.

Some people would say that I am wasting my life living for Jesus. How wrong they are. They do not understand that everyday I wake up, I am not my own, for I have a Redeemer. My temporary dreams and thoughts have been replaced by everlasting ones. Every morning I have something and Someone to live for! Those people who are in confusion about how the death of my passions and lifestyle can bring about good don’t understand, because they have not yet died. The words that compel me are spoken today just as Jesus of Nazareth spoke them two thousand years ago. The words of the way, truth, and life, are still digging wonderful gravesites. Just as I have never been the same since I chose to die, you too, will never be the same if you make this choice. I beg you, “Come and live.”

“And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it.”

Even though this new experience was painful, it was what the wick was designed for.

The wick would never desire to return to the dark cold nights when it was unlit.

When Christ draws near, sometimes we are like the unused wick. We fear and are unsure of the new life that the Holy Spirit draws us toward.

Yet, when we submit, when we let the Lord burn our unused threads, we will never want to be snuffed out.

Though painful and fearful at first, the results of humbling the heart unto salvation and surrender are unexchangeable.

we've developed a certain contempt for the title: "Christian". so how is it one can choose to embrace Jesus and the other refuse his divinity? so many have become disillusioned by "the church" that they refuse to believe that any Jesus worth worshipping would ordain a selfish, wealthy Bible-belter to do his bidding. but who is at fault when the love of Christ is not shown.. the infallible Christ, or the fallible man? you can call me a conservative Christian. that's essentially what i am; a very pro-life, sanctity of marriage, Christ follower. but there is an essential truth that i believe the modern-day church as a whole has overlooked. we are to be like Jesus. that is Christianity. i can list the Bible as my favorite book on facebook. i am perfectly capable of that. but the fact is, if my works don't demonstrate my faith, i am one of the countless many that contribute to the bad name of Christianity. so DCAers, CPAers, MJCAers beware: disappointment in Christians is a sure thing. but do not base your faith on how somebody else's turns out. you'll be hard-pressed to find a stingy, cold, and unhappy person in Heaven. find Jesus. Christianity is more personal than going to one of Nashville's 700 churches and reading a big book.

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." - Mahatma Gandhi

try to see the other side of disillusionment. maybe the religion you grew to resent had a core of truth to start. maybe that core is Jesus. maybe He's still who He was. maybe He's still alive. and for Christ's sake, don't be lukewarm.

A simple fascination woke me today. I opened my eyes this morning and observed the blue. Our unique planet is surrounded by this thing called our atmosphere. Inside this massive azure marble there appear white swirls and floating defined clumps.

God’s faithfulness to man reaches to clouds. Clouds can be absolutely beautiful.

The Master Artist carefully lets the suns light, reflect, penetrate, and envelope these fluffy cotton-like creations.

Just like the clouds, God’s faithful presence can be peaceful, pleasant, and greatly desired.

But Clouds can also be powerful. Fierce angry anvils can rule the sky. Gray and black can fill the earth and prove how small we are.

When you look into the sky and see the white cirrus clouds that hover at about 20,000 feet, remember the height of God’s faithfulness toward us.

And when the stratus clouds are low to the ground and touching the horizon, remember that God is faithful and His presence is in your grasp. When the fog pours in, and the clouds graze the top of your head, remember the Creator is near.

This past semester in English class, I was instructed to interview my mom. I was given a list of questions to ask her about her passions, interests, and life. It was a great way to get to know my mom better and learn about her pre-Sean days.

One of the questions on the interview sheet was about her marriage. The question was “who proposed and how”. I asked my mom and she quickly told me that my dad was the one who proposed to her. I was intrigued as to when and how my dad “popped the question” and thought I might log away some pointers for future use. I was shocked by her response.

I chuckled in surprise. I couldn’t believe that she could forget the time when my dad asked her to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him. In my mind it seemed like it would have been so monumental that she could never forget.

There are many strong followers of Christ who honestly do not know when they first decided to follow Jesus. They can not recall the day, the hour, the minute, and the second that they were born again.

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…” 1 John 5:1

“Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased...” Mark 6:51

The lightening outside just flickered. The bellowing sound of the turbulent sky has now reached my house.

I have a Labrador Retriever and every time a storm is on the horizon, my dog is whimpering and cowering.

If you place your hand on his chest, you can feel his heart racing. He is terrified of storms.

Yet, as I place my hand on his head and he begins to realize I’m near… something happens.

His heart is no longer visible through his fur, his breathing become normal, and his whimpering is silenced.

I have no power to stop or control the storm, but I am his owner and for some reason this comforts him.

The storm may continue to rage all around, but because the Master is present… it makes all the difference.

“my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
       "Because you have rejected knowledge,
       I also reject you as my priests;
       because you have ignored the law of your God,
       I also will ignore your children.”

Jesus said man does not live by bread alone, but on every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

The pain it brings me when I see Christians who do not have a love for the Word.

God is just waiting! Waiting, For His child, whom He bought, to open the Word and seek His face.

Let me talk about something that a lot of Christians want to ignore. “Hate what is evil.”

When I look around in the church I see many who make sin seem not so terrible. They want to take something that goes against God, and make it seem ok.

I am referring not only to sins such as: sexual immorality, drunkenness, and stealing.

Lately it seems that if a fallible human has an idea that is somewhat contrary to what the perfect God says, God is the one who needs to change.

My friend, God does not change. God is not the problem. God’s Word is not the problem.

If anything (whether it is an action, philosophy, or idea) is contrary to God’s Word, it is a lie, sin, and evil.

“Do not be deceived; ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

My school was closed today because of the large amount of students who are sick. So many people had the flu, sniffles, and nastiness, the school needed to take a day off. The sick people kept coming back to school and their sickness spread to everyone!

The healthy person becomes sick! I have never seen or heard of a sick person becoming well due to the presence of a healthy person.

When a doctor comes in the room to see a sick patient, the doctor does not spend hours in the presence of the sick person. The doctor enters the room, diagnoses the patient, and prescribes the cure.

As Christians we have the cure for sin. We have the cure for brokenness. We have the cure for death.

Offer the cure to all, love the ones who need it, but do not be deceived. Light has no fellowship with darkness. For what do they have in common?

“…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…” 1 Thessalonians 3:12

The bridges that cross over from one person to the other are sometimes strong and concrete. Other bridges are weak and fragile. Either way, both bridges are needed to walk across.

When a bridge is burned there is always remorse. Someone built that bridge and is probably quite sad that their work has been utterly destroyed. When a relationship has been severed, there will always been someone who has been hurt.

When a bridge is burned, smoke will rise. A large fire causes smoke. Other people will see that smoke and wonder what has taking place. When a relationship has been broken, it will always involve more than just two people.

When a bridge is burned, a gap is created. No one can walk across the gap until a new bridge is built. When a relationship is burned, Jesus is hurt. Any opportunity He prepared, through you, to get to another person is ruined. Jesus wants to use us to bring others to a saving knowledge of Him.

Unearthed Ministries purpose is to let God use us to instill a fervent passion for His infallible Word in the hearts of students, adults, and everyone we meet. Our main purpose is to spread the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim how the Bible is trustworthy and reliable. May it be said of us like it was said about the early Christians, “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too…saying there is another king- Jesus.” (Acts 17:6-7). Every sport award, academic grade, and achievement will eventually fade away and be forgotten, but the Word of the Lord will endure forever! Jesus gave His entire life for us, it is only logical that we give our entire lives for Him. In the words of Mother Teresa, “Jesus is everything”.

1) The Bible (the 66 books Genesis through Revelation) is the complete and only inspired Word of God and His revelation to humanity. (2 Timothy 3:16)

2) The Scripture has supreme and total authority regarding everything it teaches. It is completely flawless and completely accurate. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

3) The Word is true in every area it touches including geography, historically, scientifically and spiritually. (this includes God’s account of creation as revealed in Genesis) (Isaiah 40:28)

4) Sinful man’s fallible opinion is never to be taken as truth over God’s perfect, flawless Word. (Romans 3:4)

5) No apparent, perceived or claimed evidence in any field can be valid if it contradicts the Scriptural record. (John 1:14)

1) The Godhead is triune: One God, three persons- God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:9-11)

5) Jesus rose bodily from the grave and is able to forgive sin and conquer death for all those who place their faith in Him. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

6) Jesus ascended into heaven and is at the right hand of the Father. He will return to judge the living and the dead. (Revelation 22:2)

1) Jesus died and took the complete penalty of sin for all those who repent and place their faith in Him. (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2)

2) Man is sinful by nature and choice and must receive salvation from Jesus Christ to have eternal life in heaven. (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23)

3) Salvation is a gift to all those who trust Him and believe that died for their sins and rose again from the dead. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10)

5) There are only two places after death. For those who did not trust Jesus, eternal separation from God and conscious suffering for payment of their sin. For those who did believe in Jesus, peace and life with God in heaven for all eternity. (Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:14-15, Revelation 21:1-4)

About three months ago a close friend of mine challenged me to read and become an expert on one book of the Bible, for a prize. I, just like most people, love prizes. So of course I did it. My friend being wiser than me knew I would receive a much greater prize than what he would give me. So I read the book of Job. While reading the book of Job I realized there were several things I should be doing in my life, and several things I should not. About a month later I stopped reading because I had fulfilled my duty and received the earthly prize, a bumper sticker. Then I was asked what book I was currently reading in the Bible. I had to confess that I was not reading any. So I was encouraged to always be reading and he suggested 1 Peter. So I read 1 and 2 Peter. What I found were some rules to live by. This lead to the question of what Old Testament rules are we still held accountable for? So he told me to read Galatians and what I found was this:

Galatians 2:16- Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:11- Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because the “The righteous will live by faith”.

Galatians 3:24-25- So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we may be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Galatians 5:4- You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from the concept of grace.

Galatians 5: 13- …But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The book of Galatians is only 4 pages long but has an enormous amount of truth. My friend also encouraged me to read the first 7 chapters of Romans, and this is what I learned:

Romans 2:1-…For at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself…

Romans 5:1- Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 6: 14- For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law but under grace.

Romans 7:6- But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

At this point I was beginning to wonder what purpose at all the law could serve. We are not bound to it. So why is it there? The answer came in the very next verse.

Romans 7:7- …I would not have known what sin was except through the law…

Now I have my answer. I set out to find the law I should follow. If you know me at all you know I am very legalistic. I argue points by the letter of the law. Through my reading, what I found was not a set of rules, but rather an understanding of the spirit of the law. The laws are there to help us become closer to God, but the laws are not God. In order to truly follow the “Law” we need to seek God’s will. We need to know what he wants. It is never about how much can we do without sinning, but about staying as far from it as possible and making our life about pleasing Him in every way possible.

May the truth of this letter give all the glory to Jesus Christ and help you in your relationship with Him.

In Romans chapter 12, Paul gives us a list of great tips on how to live this Christian life. I highly recommend reading this chapter and writing short verse phrases (like the one above) on index cards. Placing these around your room, car, bathroom or locker will remind you follow these great guidelines. Every one of them helps us “offer our bodies as living sacrifices” which is our “reasonable service.”

I believe this is something the average Christian lacks. One pet peeve of mine is when people make the Bible seem boring.

Noah, Tamar, Lot , David, Goliath, Bathsheba, Shadrach, Jesus, Satan, John the Baptist and Paul!!!

Love, lust, violence, adultery, justice, war, peace, redemption, struggle, forgiveness, and power!!!

No, those who haven’t looked into the heart of Scripture are the ones who say it is dull.

The synonyms of fervent are: impassioned, ardent, fervid, fiery, and passionate.

Pray for a passion and a fire that burns within you. Pray for a desire to read His Word and love it more than food.

In this past year I have witnessed several people really dive into the Word. I can name them to you right now. The change that has been wrought in their life is uncontainable. They have matured beyond their years and have amazed others.

Since we ran out of time at last Friday’s Unearthed, I thought I would share with you a piece of the Word that we did not get to learn about.

Matthew 11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

I had the privilege of going on a Logos Ministries Israel trip lead by Kevin Saunders.

Mr. Saunders recounts his experience living in Israel and studying the Bible under a Jewish Rabbi. The students were asked what this particular verse in Matthew meant.

What was Jesus saying in the verse that is lumped in his teaching about John the Baptist?

The Rabbi led the students to a sometimes forgotten book of the Bible called Micah.

Micah 2:12 describes Israel like sheep that have been gathered and placed in a fenced in area. Lots of sheep in a closed in space. This confined location causes the sheep to make a loud noise and we get a picture of a multitude of people that want to be released.

Verse 13 says, “The one who breaks open will come up before them;
                                    They will break out,
                                    Pass through the gate,
                                    And go out by it;
                                    Their king will pass before them,
                                    With the LORD at their head.”   [bold mine]

John is the one to come before the Kingdom of God and break open the gate. After John prepares the way the King (The Messiah) will appear.

Breaking open is a forceful image and I’m sure the animals were violent when they were set loose. Some were probably trampled and pushed about.

The NIV translates Matthew 11:12 as “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”

The gate was torn down by the one to come before, and the King has now passed among the people.

There is so much that I want to say to you from the depths of my heart regarding this subject matter of sexual sin and idolatry.

I have learned these two sins go hand in hand. (Paul was not mistaken when he wrote them so close together)

Examine verse 13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as common to man.”

I struggle with these sins as much as you. The sin of lust, sex, and idolatry is defiantly “common to man.”

God never commands us to fight this sin. In fact, look at God’s solution in verse 13.

Ah, but one might say, “I am strong in my faith, I know my Bible, I am active in church, and I faithfully attend Unearthed!”

Friend, take a glance at verse 12. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”

I can tell countless stories of dating couples in church youth groups that fell into sexual sin. Do not think that we are not “common men” (or women).

Do not think that I am out to make you into a monk or nun. Going on a date is certainly not wrong. Just read verse 23!

However, if you are in a relationship that causes you to sin, stumble, and become sidetracked, then it is time to make a choice.

A relationship that is leading into lust, sex and distractions is not in God’s plan.

God forgive me when I dare go against His “good, pleasing and perfect will.”

But I have met many youth, adults, and elders, who have been eaten alive inside because they chose to ignore God’s will for their lives.

This past week I have had a muddled sleep schedule. I have endured long all-nighters, half-nighters, and semi occasional naps during throughout these past few days.

Time is precious and I don’t like to waste it. So I read, study and educate myself on various subjects.

Some subjects are profitable like learning about cults and false religions. And other subjects are nowhere near as beneficial… like Spongebob.

But I have been able to study a great deal about Mormonism. If you are interested in learning about this religion I highly recommend visiting this website www.utlm.org.

Mormonism is a cult that claims to believe the Bible. This is what makes it so dangerous and deceptive.

The goal of this letter to you is not to explain Mormonism. The goal of my writing to you is to depart a deep thought into your mind so you may dwell on it.

However, if your object in which you trust is the truth, then your faith is priceless.

then my friend do not be deceived! No matter how good it sounds, if it goes against the Word of God, then it is a lie and blasphemous.

If we are deceived it is because we have not taken the time to read what God has spoken.

Personally it seems to have come much quicker than in the past… nevertheless, it is still Christmas. My family always gathers around and opens presents one at a time. Dad, Me, Mena, Papa, Mom, and then the cycle repeats.

We always save the biggest and most exciting gift till the very end. (Sometimes we pretend all the presents have been given and then my dad will say “O wait! There is one more.” And at that point, he reveals the expensive hidden gift that everyone “didn’t” expect.)

What is the biggest and most expensive gift that you have ever been given? What is the most exciting special gift that has been offered to you in love?

“… the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Sounds like a pretty good gift to me. And it seems to be a thing that every person wants and seeks. I have good news to those people who are wanting this present of Salvation. It is a gift. It is a free gift that has been bought for you.

Jesus paid for this gift with his life. His blood was shed for this present to be yours.

If this Christmas, someone died so that I could have a certain present…. I think I would accept it.

Friend, God has bought you a present with His life. Jesus died on a cross for every sin you or I would ever commit! All you or I have to do is accept the gift. The Bible says, “anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

To those of you who have never received God’s marvelous gift: you can ask Jesus right now to forgive all your sin and accept the wonderful gift of eternal life. Your Christmas will be the greatest Christmas of your life.

To those of you who have received Christ: wouldn’t if be wonderful to share your most precious gift with a friend?

I hope you have enjoyed the warmth of love and relaxed with a good cup of (insert your choice of tea, coffee or soda).

But most of all, I pray and hope that your have rested in the shadow of the Almighty and enjoyed Christmas with your Savior and His Word. Merry Christmas

Before you read this blog, pull out your copy of God’s Word and read Psalm 93.

This section of Scripture that was written by God through King David is about to personally become your Psalm.

I’m not sure how your week has been, but I know that this week I have needed this Psalm.

Look at verse 3: “The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice”

If so, then make that verse the moments you feel like drowning. Those times when you feel hopless, those times of pain, and no assurance. Those are waves that have lifted their voice and flooded your heart.

Now look at the next verse: “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.”

The waves that hit our lives are mighty, fierce, and strong. Yet the Lord is mightier than the noise of many waters.

Remember Jesus stood up in an old fishing boat and boldly declared with power and awe, “Peace, be Still!”

“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”

If we really believe that Christ is coming back to earth… how should our lives as believers be different? As we await that day when Jesus of Nazareth sets His foot down on the Mt. of Olives and splits the hillside in two, how should be prepare?

We as Christians should really take our walk with God seriously. Sometimes I’m lazy. Sometimes I don’t feel like praying. God help me. His return is at hand!

Prayers are so powerful when unhindered. I need to be wise. I need to pray for the people in my school who do not have a relationship with the One who is returning. I need to pray for someone to lead Unearthed after I graduate. I need to be serious and pray for those who have lost their passion for Jesus.

I need to realize the end is at hand. I need to be serious in my prayers. I need to be watchful and realize the prayer needs of my school, friends, and family.

What does it mean to be pure in heart? When I think of pure, the word honesty comes to mind. I’m not sure why… but it does. Honesty. Sincerity. Pure. True.

And I’m not referring to telling the truth to your mom, or friends, but to someone greater.

Becoming pure, honest, sincere, and true before a holy God. I don’t know about you… but that’s kind of terrifying to me. Being honest before a God who is perfect! I’m anything but perfect!

Those who are not afraid to tell God their doubts. Those who are not afraid to offer God their fears. Those who are not afraid to ask forgiveness for their sin. Those who are not afraid to become humble before a holy, righteous, just and perfect God.

Those are the ones who eventually walk with God so closely that just the name of Jesus makes them cry. I want to be pure in heart. I want to see God.

So I implore you. Get before a Holy God. Be sincere and true, tell Him everything that is going on in your heart.

I ate a large amount of assorted gummy bears. The orange and yellow really have a wonderful flavor that is far superior to the green ones. (I apologize for all you Green Bear-Huggers)

I paid a large amount of money for the bag and I was determined to get my money’s worth. Having shared the bears with the people near me (not only out of the goodness of my heart, but rather to eliminate the bears so I would feel like I had not been wasteful) my head began to throb.

I felt…. Less than dapper. Quite distraught and downtrodden actually. I felt sick.

“It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.”

Honey is good and sweet, just like the gummy bears, but too much honey is bad for the body and has unhealthy consequences.

Solomon uses this analogy to show how to much honor (glory, fame, or pride) is destructive. When receiving a compliment, take it and use it to further your cause. When receiving praise, be thankful and share the credit. God has the major part in our accomplishments.

Realize that encouragement is good and needed. But never let that be the reason for your actions. Never let compliments be the reason you do good things.

If someone does not say thank you for something you worked and sacrificed for… would you still have done it?

Romans 12:17-21
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Easier said than done, right? We all always preach and live by the basic principle of “Love your enemies.” But then we’re thrown into the heat of the situation and we forget. Revenge becomes more appealing than forgiveness. We forget God is in control and nothing will go unpunished. Just as it says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Now why is this verse so significant to me? True, it’s a great message to live by. But this also became the verse that pulled me through the heartache this past year. And ironically, this is the verse I read over the school intercom during end-of-the-day announcements, just moments before discovering the deepest betrayal of my life.

It’s nearly December, and I can’t help but to reflect on this past year. And I won’t lie… I don’t think of it fondly. But at the same time, I’m now seeing God’s plan unravel and understanding why these series of unfortunate events happened. It’s all God’s big master plan, and it led me to where I am now, no matter how painful it’s been.

I had been dating a guy for over a year, which twisted into a horrible abusive relationship. Instead of revolving my life around the Lord, I revolved my life around this guy. And oh, how I can’t emphasize enough the importance of being in love with our Savior, who is everlasting and unconditional, instead of being in love with some guy, who will only disappoint and is about as stable as the weather. I changed dramatically into someone I didn’t want to be. And I wish I had relied on God instead of ignoring Him. I went from this happy-go-lucky, Christian girl to a depressed, emotionally and physically beaten-down person. I dealt with a “relationship”, if you can even call it that, that no boy or girl should ever have to put up with. The mental wear down was driving me to insanity, and I knew things were on the horizon of getting even worse. Finally, I prayed long and hard and put it all in God’s hands. I couldn’t fight this battle by myself, and I really needed Him. He gave me the strength to break away from the entire year and a half that was wasted. Even though it was pure anguish and wasn’t about to just go away in one day, God gave me a peace about it. I can’t explain it, but I felt like God had really just wrapped his big arms around me and told me he still loved me and forgives me for everything. For months I had depressed myself, thinking I didn’t even deserve God’s eternal love for pushing him away so much. But that’s the thing: God, our Father, loves us so much, no matter what we do. Nothing we do will ever be enough to draw his love away. I vividly recall that night, and I just sat on the floor, bawling my eyes out and feeling Him surround me. The whole burden I carried on my heart was lifted, and the great feeling was greater than anything I’ve ever felt.

But after that, things only ran downhill. School was tougher, people were cruel, and I was limping in my faith again. My life was going 100 mph, trying to balance grades, friends, parents, and everything else under the sun. The crowd I ran with were close to me, but didn’t share the same morals as I did. And the two years I was there, I didn’t find one person who did.

“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.” (1 Corinthians 15:33-34)

Uh-huh. Enough said. I wasn’t saying things that honored God. I was not setting an example of Christ by my actions. Once again, God was pushed to the backburner. Dealing with the breakup and friends affected my schoolwork too. I was struggling and overworking myself. In turn, my parents and I fought every moments over my poor grades or my attitude. My sister told me she cried every night, wishing she could just do something to set me on the right path. I regret that I put my entire family through the same pain I was going through. I was on a downward spiral, and I didn’t even have time to catch myself from falling. I had a huge snowball going, affecting every part of my life. I was trying to juggle getting over my ex and the bruises he put on my heart, who was still trying to torment me whenever the opportunity presented itself. Along with that, I was juggling raising my grades enough to please my parents, who were total strangers to me, and fitting in with my best friends who were determined to tear me down. At the time I truly needed God to work in me and my life the most, I forgot Him. Sometimes things would start looking up, but soon crash back down. Constantly I was building up only to have it break down. I know now if I had built my life up with Christ, then He would have been the rock, the foundation, that kept me strong. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Finally things began to look up for a while. Still struggling academically, but I was beginning to get other parts of my life back in order.

My “best friends”, who I had been so close to for years, went on a vendetta to get me expelled from school. Why? I still really don’t know. Cheating was taken very seriously at my school. They had this honor system, called Veritas (the Latin word for truth). You cheat three times (or you get caught three times), and you’re gone. These people had made up stories and turned me in… five times. And laughed about it. No one should have their reputation shot and be known as “Veritas girl” or “that chick who got all three violations and expelled in one day” by random people you don’t even know. Of course, they did NOT succeed because, well, obviously they didn’t present proof. I was completely innocent, but it didn’t matter to anyone because I was “Veritas Girl.” Some who believed me told me to turn them in for cheating too. I did have solid eyewitness proof that they cheated on work all the time. And lying about me cheating was a violation in itself. But that verse I read over the intercom, just a day before, stayed in my mind. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. What good would it do to turn around and tattle on them? It wouldn’t get me out of this mess. It wouldn’t do any good, except stir more trouble.

It was then that I really just let go. I was down on my knees praying and pleading for forgiveness. I needed Him. And not just until the storm passed over, but forever. This was something out of my hands and only God could control. I put everything into Him and trusted Him to protect me and work things out. I knew He knew what he was doing. I didn’t know why or where He was going with all this. He had a plan though. He WILL get me through this.

I prayed and prayed about what I should do. I begged my mom not to let me go back the next year. I was not about to endure two more years of what that year had been. Since going to that school my freshman year, my personality faded, my happiness had diminished, and my relationship with the Creator was certainly not improved. I felt God telling me this wasn’t where I belonged. Finally, I felt that God was directing me towards my old school: Donelson Christian Academy . I already had lifelong friends there who grew in Christ and shared my faith. Just knowing I was returning there brought a peace to my heart. I knew God would really work and be active in my life from here on out.

Now I stand (or write) before you, and I am a totally changed person. I’m better than I’ve ever been, and my love for Christ is stronger and truer than ever. I can honestly tell you I am so blessed. I really don’t deserve everything He has given to me. Since coming back to DCA, my life has become so much more worth living. Not only do I appreciate so much more and thank God every single day for everyone and everything at this school, but my best friends have helped me revive who I am and holding my hand in my journey in becoming a loyal follower of Christ. I can see Jesus in every one of them, and I can now see Him working in my life too. I can tackle the troubles that pop up in my life with the sword of the Spirit and shield of faith, and understand the purpose of last year. All of the hard times led me back here at DCA, and my life is all for Him. Even though all my memories still haunt me every now and then, I see God’s purpose and have full trust in Him. Dating isn’t an issue because I’m fearfully and wonderfully made, and no boy can complete me. Only my Savior. And I know He’s preparing a fantastic guy for me someday who will grow with me in faith. I’m blessed with amazing friends who inspire me and make me a better person. They are my angels in disguise. Best of all, I’m in the Word every day and living my faith too. I’m seeing Jesus work in me and hoping others are seeing it too.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Matthew 5:14: “You are the Light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Believers are indeed so very special. Jesus, the Light of the World, has entered the believers’ lives and written their names on His hand. The Light dwells inside them.

Jesus called his disciples (us) “the light of the world” (we are the light because we have The Light – John 1:4) Jesus also stated that “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Unbelievers and believers both watch us. They watch even the smallest actions we make.

They watch the city on the hill when it shines so bright and is an example to all. They also watch when our light seems to be dim, and even when our light seems be snuffed out.

Don’t let this scare of discourage you. Take advantage of it. Let it keep you in check.

When our light begins to dim (which it will because we are sinful), realize it and either remove the lampshade, or throw more Word on the fire.

I desire to learn more about prayer and develop a consistent prayer life. I can study the Word all-day long because it is tangible and visible. I can see it bearing fruit and apply it to my life.

I plan to use this blog on our site to share my personal thoughts, devotions, and experiences with you.

They will probably be sporadic and unusual but I believe God will use them to bless you, stretch you and inspire you to grow deeper with Him.

I am thrilled to be apart of your lives and I am even more thrilled that you are apart of mine.